Combination cigarette and match case



Dec. 2, 1958 C. POIDOMANI ETAL COMBINATION CIGARETTE AND MATCH CASE Filed Nov. 22, 1957 INVENTORS. Catherine Poldomunl Giuseppe Armenia BY I ATTORNE Y United States Patent COMBINATION CIGARETTE AND MATCH CASE Catherine Poidomani and Giuseppe Armenia, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 22, 1957, Serial No. 698,199

3 Claims. (Cl. 20648) This invention relates to an improved receptacle for carrying cigarettes and matches.

customarily, matches are dispensed separately from the cigarettes they are designed to light. As a result, it frequently happens that the former, being smaller than the latter, become lost. All smokers have known the frustration of having cigarettes but no matches with which to light them.

Smokers often carry a pack of cigarettes on their person or in handbags. This often results in the cigarettes becoming crushed or bent because of the little physical protection afforded them by the pack. To obviate this condition, cigarette cases have been designed into which a cigarette pack may be fitted. Except for the added protection, these cases give no greater facility of cigarette dispensing than the packs themselves.

It is then a general object of this invention to provide an improved cigarette and match case which is less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous to use than prior art receptacles of its type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a case of the type described having an opening for inserting and dispensing individual cigarettes and a side compartment for holding matches.

These and other related objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent as the description thereof proceeds especially when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein the same reference characters identify the same or like parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the receptacle of the invention shown in closed position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle of the invention in open position showing cigarettes and matches in place therein;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the receptacle of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the case of the invention comprises an outer rectangular casing 10, the length of which (11) is sufiicient to hold cigarettes and the height of which (13) is slightly in excess of the width of a conventional cigarette pack or about equal to twice the length of conventional cigarette matches.

About the upper third of one side of the casing and a small part of the adjoining top section of the casing are cut away to provide an opening 12. The section 14 taken away from the top is generally semi-circular so as to give the configuration shown in the drawing. This general configuration of opening 12 facilitates greatly the endwise insertion of cigarettes into the case and their like removal. It is large enough to allow a number of cigarettes to pass through at once.

Hinged to the back of casing is a cover 16 of a size suflicient to completely cover opening 12. Intermediate cover 16 and casing 10 is a match spacer 18, composed of a series of compartments, such as 20 and 22, matches 24, may be carried with heads wide apart to prevent spontaneous combustion by rubbing of one on the other.

V Patented Dec. 2, 1958 It should be understood that various means may be used to secure cover 16 to case 10, usually dependent upon the materials used. Thus where the case and cover are of cardboard and spacer 18 is of corrugated paper, the spacer may be glued on the back of the case at the edge of its corrugation while the cover may be hinged on by means of adhesive tape or similar adhesive strip. Where the casing is composed of leather or plastic, stitching or gluing may be used.

The object of the invention may take various sizes and may be built to accommodate so called kingsize cigarettes as well as those of usual dimension.

it should also be understood that the match spacer herein described may be replaced with a strip of tear ofl? matches fastened as indicated above.

In operation, then the smoker Will learn to refill the match spacer with matches at the same time as he refills the cigarette-containing casing 10. As indicated in Figure 2, the number of matches which may be accommodated in spacer 18 exceeds the number of cigarettes in casing 10 in line with the experience of smokers that often more than one match may be required to light a single cigarette.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the objects 1 of the invention have been realized and that there has been provided in accordance therewith a useful novel article of commerce.

It should be understood that variations of the present invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope thereof except as stated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A cigarette container comprising in combination a rectangular housing including a front, rear and end walls, a top wall continuous with one end wall and with both the front and rear walls, said top wall having an arcuate portion thereof removed at the other end Wall, said latter end wall having a top portion thereof removed, thereby to provide a combined top and end opening, said opening being for insertion and removal of cigarettes, a swing able cover hinged to one of the side walls, said cover having a top portion for engaging over said arcuate feature, and an end portion continuous with the first mentioned portion for covering the other area of said combined opening.

2. A cigarette and match container comprising in combination a rectangular housing including front, rear and end walls, a top wall continuous with one of said end walls, and with both of said front and rear walls, said top wall having an arcuate marginal space at the other end thereof, the other of said end Walls having a top portion thereof removed to provide a space communieating with the first mentioned space, said spaces providing an opening for insertion and removal of cigarettes into and from the housing, a holder disposed on one of side walls near the top thereof for carrying matches in spaced relation, and a swingable cover member hinged at one of its longitudinal margins to the side wall, said member having a linear part for covering the spaced matches, an end part continuous with the first mentioned part for covering said arcuate space, and an end portion continuous with said first portion for covering the aforesaid communicating spaces.

3. A cigarette and match container as set forth in claim 2, andin which the number of spaced match holders is greater than the number of cigarettes which may be placed in said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

